AEW Dynamite: Rebel Heart placed the focus firmly on resilience, rivalry, and the strength of its women’s division on September 9, 2026, from the Akins Ford Arena in Athens, Georgia. The special episode was dedicated to Rebel as she continues her battle with ALS, with Rebel appearing on-screen throughout the night and sharing an emotional moment with Britt Baker.
Inside the ring, Swerve Strickland and New Level’s Kofi and Austin Creed successfully defended the AEW World Trios Championship against The Conglomeration’s Orange Cassidy, Roderick Strong, and Kyle O’Reilly. Elsewhere, Baker teamed with newly crowned TBS Champion Persephone and Hikaru Shida against Maya World, Hyan, and Thunder Rosa. Baker’s return to AEW competition was capped by a submission win, and Rebel was directly involved in the closing moments.
The night also furthered the increasingly crowded competition around the AEW World Trios Championship. Following the title match, Ricochet led The Demand and The Lethal Twist to ringside to confront the champions, only for “Hangman” Adam Page, Brody King, and Bandido to prevent the situation from escalating into an attack.
Rebel and Britt Baker open Dynamite: Rebel Heart
Rebel introduced Britt Baker for a Waiting Room segment at the beginning of the broadcast. Baker made her entrance and immediately addressed the inspiration she has drawn from Rebel’s “strength, fight, and spirit.” The exchange maintained some of the familiar humor between the longtime friends, as Rebel corrected Baker after Baker referred to her as “Reba.”
For more background on this topic, read Orange Cassidy Says He Wants To Play The Flash In James Gunn’s DCU.
Baker then welcomed Persephone, who entered as both the reigning TBS Champion and CMLL World Women’s Champion. Persephone thanked Baker for assisting her in what she described as saving AEW’s women’s division. Baker had made a surprise return on the All In Buy In show on August 30, helping Persephone defeat Maya World to become TBS Champion.
Hikaru Shida joined them in the Waiting Room next. Shida acknowledged that she and Baker and Rebel had not always been on the same page in the past. However, Shida made clear that her current issue with Maya World outweighed any lingering hostility. Shida, Persephone, and Rebel shared a fist bump, setting the tone for the six-woman match later in the program.
The segment gave the night an appropriate opening, particularly considering its Rebel Heart designation. It also established that Baker’s alliance with Persephone is more than a one-off connection stemming from All In. With Shida joining the cause, the three represented a formidable grouping against World and her allies.
Strickland and New Level turn back The Conglomeration
The AEW World Trios Championship bout brought together two teams built around distinctly different styles. Strickland, Kofi, and Creed arrived as champions after retaining against The Rascalz’s Myron Reed, Zachary Wentz, and Dezmond Xavier on the previous week’s Dynamite. Cassidy, Strong, and O’Reilly, meanwhile, looked to use their chemistry and unconventional offense to take the titles.
Kofi and Cassidy began the contest with a spirited exchange that included a respectful fist bump. The competitive courtesy did not last long once O’Reilly and Creed entered, with Creed knocking O’Reilly down with an elbow strike before bringing Kofi back into the match.
The challengers found creative ways to disrupt the champions. Strong used Cassidy as an unwilling projectile, throwing him into Creed in the corner, before delivering a fallaway slam that sent Cassidy into Strickland. It was an example of The Conglomeration’s ability to turn chaos to its advantage, even when Cassidy was the person being launched around the ring.
After the action returned from a break, Kofi gained momentum with a top-rope clothesline on Strong, followed by a dropkick and a crossbody. Strong remained in the fight, but the champions began to isolate him and use quick tags to maintain control. Strickland also made a major impact when Strong attempted to catapult him toward the ropes. Strickland landed outside the ring on his feet and held Strong in position for Kofi to deliver a double stomp from the bottom rope. Creed followed with a top-rope backbreaker.
The match opened up as Cassidy and Strickland reentered the ring. Cassidy stopped Strickland with a Stun Dog Millionaire, and Strong added an Angle Slam to the champion. New Level quickly intervened to prevent the challengers from sustaining that run. When Kofi and Creed attempted to double-team Cassidy, he escaped in signature fashion, putting his hands in his pockets before trapping both men in a double headlock and firing off kicks toward Strickland.
The final sequence saw the champions capitalize on a moment of separation. Strong had Kofi positioned for a tornado DDT, but Strickland cut him off with a House Call. Kofi then held Cassidy in place as Creed came off the top rope with a double stomp to secure the deciding pinfall.
Swerve Strickland and New Level retained the AEW World Trios Championship.
The victory was an important one for the champions, but the post-match scene suggested their work is far from finished. O’Reilly helped Cassidy up after the loss, and the challengers showed respect by shaking hands with Strickland and New Level. Strong was notably absent during that moment.
Ricochet confronts the champions as allies arrive
The show of sportsmanship was interrupted by The Demand and The Lethal Twist. Ricochet voiced frustration over The Demand losing the AEW World Trios Championship and accused New Level of walking into his company and receiving opportunities. He ordered Strickland and New Level out of “his” ring, then proposed that The Demand and The Lethal Twist remove them instead.
Before an assault could begin, Page, King, and Bandido ran out to support the champions. The arrival was enough to force Ricochet’s group to back down. King and Bandido returned the title belts to Kofi and Creed, while Page hesitated before handing Strickland his championship belt.
That hesitation was notable. Page and Strickland have considerable history, and their uneasy interaction provided a subtle but meaningful wrinkle amid the wider trios picture. King and Bandido were direct in their show of support; Page’s body language suggested a more complicated relationship with Strickland despite standing beside him against a common threat.
Ricochet’s comments, combined with the presence of The Demand and The Lethal Twist, indicate that New Level and Strickland have no shortage of potential opponents after escaping The Conglomeration. At the same time, the involvement of Page, King, and Bandido creates an additional layer around the champions and the title scene.
Baker, Persephone, and Shida score emotional trios victory
The women’s trios match brought the earlier Waiting Room issue into the ring. Persephone started against Thunder Rosa, but Rosa immediately took control and knocked the TBS Champion down. Maya World tagged in to continue wearing down Persephone, and Hyan followed with a leg drop as World’s side built an advantage.
Rosa remained aggressive after the break, hitting Persephone with a Stunner and landing knee strikes on both Persephone and Shida in separate corners. The pace gave World, Hyan, and Rosa a strong chance to claim a victory over a team that was still coming together.
Baker eventually received the tag and changed the direction of the match. She delivered a swinging neckbreaker to Hyan, but the most memorable moment came when Rebel appeared at ringside and handed Baker her medical glove. The gesture brought a personal meaning to Baker’s closing stretch of offense.
Hyan nearly caught Baker with a roll-up, but Baker kicked out. Baker then applied the Lockjaw, pointing toward Rebel and shouting her out as Hyan submitted.
Britt Baker, Persephone, and Hikaru Shida defeated Thunder Rosa, Hyan, and Maya World.
Rebel celebrated at ringside following the submission, while Shida embraced her. The victory gave Baker a successful in-ring return and reinforced Persephone’s standing as the TBS Champion after her major All In victory over World. It also left Maya World on the losing end of another key confrontation involving the woman who dethroned her and the returning Baker.
All Out implications continue to build
Dynamite: Rebel Heart arrived with AEW All Out scheduled for September 26. Will Ospreay is set to defend the AEW World Championship against Jon Moxley, though Ospreay was also preparing to face David Finlay of The Dogs in an Eliminator Match on this Dynamite. A Finlay victory would earn him a future AEW World Championship opportunity.
The road to All Out also includes a Three-Way TLC Match for the AEW World Tag Team Championship, with Christian Cage and Adam Copeland scheduled to defend against The Young Bucks and FTR’s Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler. Matt and Nick Jackson were slated for a Tables Match against Don Callis Family representatives Kyle Fletcher and Kevin Knight. In another Don Callis Family conflict, Josh Alexander and Mark Davis were set to face TNT Champion Darby Allin and Steven Borden. Alexander had returned from injury the previous week, attacking Borden after Borden attempted to help Allin during a Don Callis Family assault.
While those developments remain central to AEW’s September landscape, Rebel Heart’s early results were defined by the trios division and an emotional celebration of Rebel. Strickland and New Level retained under pressure, Baker made her first match back count, and Persephone and Shida stood alongside her in a moment that connected AEW’s active rivalries with the purpose of the special episode.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.